Travel: Top instagram travel accounts to follow for ultimate wanderlust

The pandemic has grounded almost everyone for over a year, and most of us can’t wait to get out and see the world again.

While the traffic light travel system continues to make booking holidays a little risky, there is still one avenue open to safely satisfy our wanderlust – Instagram.

The most dedicated globetrotters have refused to let Covid-19 slow down the stream of gorgeous holiday photos appearing on their social media feeds.

Here are our favourite travel accounts which are sure to provide inspiration for your next trip, whenever it might be, or even just some daydream fodder while stuck at home.

@ONTHEROADAGAINTRAVELS

They’ve had to switch their holidays from the likes of Havana and Tokyo to Dumfries and Galloway but Stuart Conway and Ashley McAfee have taken the pandemic in their stride, discovering hidden gems and secret nooks during their time at home.

The couple are particularly good at finding amazing boutique accommodation, and it is always worth checking out their hotel and Airbnb recommendations for cosy and romantic couples’ retreats.

The pair have recently converted a campervan that will allow them to sleep under the stars, and it seems they’re planning to use it to venture further afield as they finally get back on the road.

@SABRINA_CHAKICI

Sabrina Chakici’s feed is a rabbit-hole of beautiful travel imagery, and you’ll likely find yourself scrolling through it for hours as you live vicariously through her holiday snaps.

Chakici is a TV presenter and voiceover artist by day but in her spare time moonlights as a luxury travel writer, and her globetrotting mantra is that there is no need to sacrifice creature comforts when going on an adventure.

Chakici combines high-end travel with exploration. Through her Insta and blog (clutchandcarryon.com) she demonstrates how to have a holiday full of activities and fun while surrounded on every side by luxury. She is also a great source of fashion inspiration when it comes to choosing what outfits to pack.

@TRAVELSWITHAKILT

Unlike most other travel bloggers, Neil Robertson focuses solely on his home country but he nonetheless takes his followers off the beaten track.

He stays clear of the most popular tourist traps like Edinburgh Castle in favour of lesser-known gems like Dunalastair Castle in Perthshire and Melrose Abbey in the Scottish Borders, where the embalmed heart of Robert the Bruce is said to be buried.

Robertson’s themed itineraries and walking maps are especially helpful. His carefully planned routes ensure you won’t miss a thing Scotland has to offer.

@TRAVEL_JOURNO

As his Instagram handle hints, Jamie Lafferty is a travel writer who has rambled around the globe for the best part of 13 years with an archive of stunning imagery to prove it.

He has been almost everywhere, or so it seems, but the joy of his Insta feed is the way he captures the spirit of the place he is visiting.

His travels have taken him to some far-flung places not advertised in your local travel agents, such as the erupting Fagradalsfjall volcano, and the Galapagos Islands for some seal spotting.

Even if you’d rather a chilled-out package holiday than a bracing trip to Antarctica to see polar bears like Lafferty, his feed is worth following for the cute pictures of penguins alone.

@JETSETSARAH

If your dream holiday is one of sun, sand and cocktails, this is the account for you.

Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon is a travel journalist and Caribbean expert, and scrolling through her sunny, bright and colourful feed will give you a much-needed serotonin hit.

@jetsetsarah Four Seasons Resort Nevis, West Indies

Followed by more than 20,000 people, her posts offer lots of Covid-era travel advice, especially for the Caribbean, while her posts from her home in Miami, Florida still give followers stuck in Britain a lovely, holiday glow.

For those who love resort holidays, Graves-Gabbadon has lots of recommendations and her photos let you check out the area for things to do, see, eat and drink, and her amazing clothes provide lots of fun outfit ideas too.

Travel blogger Nik Sennhauser blames boredom for his lockdown hobby – recreating his favourite in-flight meals at home. He even has an airline trolley stocked with crockery and glasses which he uses to plate up his meals.

Follow Nik at @flysoplane